Flyers Game Day: Dec. 31 @ Flames

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Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers (20-11-7) are in Alberta on New Year’s Eve to take on Ryan Huska’s Calgary Flames (17-18-4). Game time at Scotiabank Saddledome is 9:30 p.m. EST.

The Flyers enter this game coming off a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. Noah Cates, Carl Grundstrom, Travis Konecny, Bobby Brink, Owen Tippett (ENG, SHG) and Christian Dvorak (ENG) scored for the Flyers. Dan Vladar made 31 saves to earn the win. Matvei Michkov had a pair of primary assists and no fewer than three prime goal-scoring opportunities.

Calgary had an off day on Tuesday. The club has won back-to-back games since the holiday break. The club skated to a 2-1 overtime win against the Boston Bruins on Monday. Connor Zary netted the OT winner on the power play against Boston. Earlier, the recently red hot Blake Coleman erased a Boston lead in the middle stages of the second period. Coleman has scored goals in back-to-back games and four goals in his last seven matches.

Grundstrom, meanwhile, has set a new career high with goals in four straight games. The entire fourth line, with Grundstrom joining Rodrigo Abols and rookie Nikita Grebenkin, has been a boon for the Flyers in recent weeks.

Samuel Ersson will get the start in goal for the Flyers in Calgary. Heading into Wednesday’s game, most people expected Vladar to play against his former Flames teammates. Devin Cooley has become the backup to workhorse Flames starter Dustin Wolf.

The Flames have the 32nd-ranked power play in the NHL at just 13.6 percent efficiency, bringing up the rear in the league. Meanwhile, Philly is 0-for-4 since the Christmas break, and 25th in the NHL for the season at 16.2 percent. Both the Flyers (83.1 percent, ranked 6th) and the Flames (80.6 percent, ranked 14th) have been good penalty killing clubs for the most part this season.

Where to watch

Time and broadcast: 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSP
Listen online: FlyersRadio 24/7
RAV4 keys to the game for Philadelphia: click here
In-game watch party (Maher Media): click here

Leading scorers: Flyers (through 38 games)

Trevor Zegras — 39 points (15g, 24a)
Travis Konecny — 35 points (12g, 23a)
Christian Dvorak — 25 points (9g, 16a)
Owen Tippett — 23 points (12g, 11a)
Noah Cates — 22 points (10g, 12a)
Matvei Michkov — 22 points (9g, 13a)
Sean Couturier — 21 points (5g, 16a)
Bobby Brink — 19 points (10g, 9a)
Jamie Drysdale — 18 points (3g, 15a)

Goaltender stats

Dan Vladar — 23 GP, 14-6-3, 2.40 GAA, .910 SV%
Samuel Ersson — 14 GP, 6-4-4, 2.96 GAA, .872 SV%

Injury report: Flyers

Tyson Foerster (right arm surgery) is likely out for the rest of the season. He has a five-month estimated timetable from December..

Tuesday highlights and postgame reaction

Rick Tocchet’s postgame media availability: December 30

Carl Grundstrom

Projected Flyers Lineup: Dec. 31

The Flyers will not hold a morning skate in Calgary. Tocchet will speak to the media in the afternoon. Barring any undisclosed injuries or illnesses from Tuesday, the lineup is likely the same as the Vancouver game. The one change: Ersson gets the start in goal.

Trevor Zegras- Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny
Denver Barkey – Sean Couturier – Owen Tippett
Matvei Michkov – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Nikita Grebenkin – Rodrigo Abols – Carl Grundstrom

Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Rasmus Ristolainen

Samuel Ersson
[Dan Vladar]

PP1: York, Tippett, Cates, Michkov, Sanheim
PP2: Drysdale, Barkey, Dvorak, Konecny, Zegras

Scratches: Nicolas Deslauriers (healthy), Garnet Hathaway (healthy), Noah Juulsen (healthy).

Flyers Opponent: Calgary Flames

Leading scorers (through 39 games)

Nazem Kadri— 31 points (8g, 23a)
Rasmus Andersson — 25 points (7g, 18a)
Mikael Backlund– 24 points (9g, 15a)
Matt Coronato — 20 points (11g, 9a)
Morgan Frost — 19 points (8g, 11a)
Jonathan Huberdeau — 19 points (7g, 12a)
Blake Coleman — 19 points (10g, 9a)
Joel Farabee– 18 points (9g, 9a )
Yegor Sharangovich — 16 points (7g, 9a)

Goaltender stats

Dustin Wolf– 30 GP, 13-14-2, 2.89 GAA, .899 SV%
Devin Cooley — 13 GP, 4-4-2, 2.40 GAA, .914 SV%

Injury report: Flames

Martin Posposil in on IR but has begun to skate on his own.
Jake Bean is on IR
Rookie defenseman Zayne Parekh is healthy but is not with the team while on loan to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships.

Flames Lineup: Last game (Dec. 29)

Joel Farabee – Nazem Kadri – Yegor Sharangovich
Blake Coleman – MikaelBacklund – Matt Coronato
Jonathan Huberdeau – Morgan Frost – Connor Zary
Ryan Lomborg – John Beecher – Adam Klapka

Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
Yan Kuznetsov – Mackenzie Weegar
Joel Hanley – Hunter Brzustewicz

Dustin Wolf
Devin Cooley

PP1: Andersson, Coleman, Kadri, Huberdeau, Sharangovich
PP2: Weegar, Farabee, Frost, Coronato, Brzustewicz